Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-12-22
sAo... ..s.

The Opera House Was crowded
again last night, and this was to have
been expected, for James uNeill in
Monte Cristo draws wherever his goes.
fhe play moves off smeethly, and
here are no Long waits between acts
The scemery i, excellent and the cos.
tunes bright anl fresh, and, better
still, each and every one III tho com
ptnv fills his or her part we'll. Mr..
O'Neill closes his enga ement to-mor-
row night, instead OF S ttur,lav, and
in consequences there will be a matinee
on FIJI lay afternoon.
r,,e following letter has baen re-
ceived at this office:
EDIroRs HERALD: After witnessing
the performance Of Monte Cristo on
Tuesday evening as rendered by Mr..
James u 'Neill and his excellent com
,,any, and then readng the report. n i
criticism. OF the play as it appeared IN
the Laiiy Times o the following
uorning, I felt that as an ohseryin-
aud consistent theatcs soer, had Il
right to express ny dissa isfactipn al
the seurIilors notice given to one Of
the mQse exec lent and evenly bal
~nced dramatic companies that has
visited our city for some time. 1T |
,ulte evident that the Times critic has
lived Tor a good while in u region So
,em te from the routes taken by leg
ltiuate companies, that he has been
deprived OF the pleasure of Witnessing
ior some time u really first-class per
| iprnlance, consequently his knowl-
edge as critic must have been ac-
auired in a circus tent, or perhap,
!, as based upon his conclusions tha'
we're drawn ny reading such novel
AZ Monte Cristo, from which an Jap
tation had been made. Sur ly, We're
the author a man Of the world in the
sense that experience in all the arts
and refining Influences makes one sc
| ne would have done better. am
willing to grant much to Los Angeles
in the way of refinement aud intel
lectual development, but when all
actor of such acknowledged merit IL
Mr.. james O'Neil, who has for year,
played before the most discriminating
/ tlItlIGIlCtS dil0 eCNCIGbv CittiNG VI WV
United States, and been acce, ted by
them as u true artist, it does teeni
strange that it should iall TO the lot OF
a .swould-be" critic in Los Angeles
| to find seriou. defects and grO-s
errors in the work of such
an accomplished and int -lligent
actor as MIR. O'Neil. When the opin
ion of such men rs Augustus S4la anti
"Nym Crinkle," the last mentioned
being considered egreatest dramati.
critic OF the country, who have testi
tied time and again 10 Mr.. O'Neil' :
great talent. can be SET aside, it vii
be lime for the Los Angeles croakeI
to begin. Mr.. O'NeiPs magnificent
delivery and intelligent re tding ~oul.
be enough to save the play from un
kind criticism. AS an elocutionist hi
lis the equal OF Barrett, and has all .
that clear, incissive style of reading
that constitutes the great charm .
Edwin Booths performances.
Il MIR. O'Neil's conception of that mos
|, exacting If all characters, Hamlet,
has won the highest praise for hin
not onl, in this country. but has ex
tended to Englani OF the merits o
the remainder OF the Cast and tn,
handsome setting do not propose t
enter into discussion. Suffice it t.
say that no member Of the compan.
Jared any better than the star
and many bis of fine ACTIN
were studiously avoided. The pit.
itself seemed to disturb sorely
our worthy critic. and while no on
can claim it to DO free from blemishe
or inconsistencies, we have but to re
call the book itself from which th'
adaptation was ma lie. then remenhe
that this is the original dramatic ttiol
OF given ny Charles Fechter, whicl
pleased, for many years, the theatre
going people of the country. Ate
lis death the play was forg ,tten unit
purchased and revived by Mr.. O'Neil
who has played it with great success
for the past four years. Your cor
respondents private opinion of tn
matter, charitable one, is that TIN
Times dramatic critic attended tn
concert and allowed the criticism o
Monte Cristo to be Carol for by tin
otfice-.deyil. remain,
AN OBSERVER.